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This baked turkey casserole is wholesome and delicious! A rich and indulgent cream sauce is baked with leftover turkey, egg noodles, and peas for a comforting meal. Turn thanksgiving leftovers into this easy dish!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s the absolute best way to use up any thanksgiving or holiday leftovers! Leftover turkey gets boring after the first couple days, so spice things up with this creamy casserole. This recipe is the absolute best way to give your pre-cooked turkey a second life!
- It’s a comforting, restaurant-quality dinner! With a rich and creamy homemade cheese sauce, this recipe takes comfort food to the next level. Cozy up with a big bowl of turkey casserole this holiday season.
- It’s surprisingly easy to make! Simply cook up the cream sauce, then pour everything in a casserole dish. You’ll have a crowd-pleasing dinner on the table with very little effort, and in just 30 minutes.
Key Ingredients
Whole Milk – Whole milk yields a rich and velvety cream sauce that is simply delicious! I highly recommend using either whole milk or even heavy cream in this recipe. However, feel free to use 2% or 1% milk instead if you’d like.
Cooked Turkey – If using leftover turkey, I recommend chopping it into about 1-inch cubes before storing it for use later on. Though if cooking turkey just for this casserole recipe, either roast or boil 1-2 pounds of turkey breast before leaving it to cool, then chop. If you’d like, you can even used cooked/leftover chicken in place of the turkey in this recipe!
Chef’s Tips
- Whisk the cream sauce constantly until thick! If you don’t keep the sauce moving, it can burn and become clumpy. Therefore, for an extra smooth sauce continue whisking until it’s thick!
- You can freeze this turkey casserole ahead of time! To do this, simply prep the casserole as instructed. Then, before baking, cover it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost completely before proceeding with the recipe, as instructed below.
- Feel free to switch up the pasta in this dish to your favorite! I love egg noodles for how well they maintain their shape in this cheesy casserole. Though if you prefer something like penne or farfalle pasta, go ahead and use those instead.
Other Turkey Recipes You’ll Love
- Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup
- Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Crispy Skin
- Leftover Turkey Poutine
- Instant Pot Turkey Stock
- Garlic and Herb Sous Vide Turkey
- Baked Turkey Wings
- Leftover Turkey Salad with Apples and Cranberries
- How Much Turkey Per Person?
Turkey Casserole
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 8 ounces egg noodles cooked
- 2 cup cooked turkey chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat then whisk in flour and stir until smooth. Once golden brown, slowly pour in milk and whisk constantly until thick.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder then remove from heat and add 1 cup shredded cheese – stir until melted.
- Pour cheese sauce over noodles in baking dish. Add cooked turkey and peas, stir to combine. Bake in oven 15 minutes.
- While casserole is baking, melt remaining tablespoon butter in small bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs and large pinch of salt. After casserole bakes 15 minutes, sprinkle remaining ½ cup shredded cheese on top, then sprinkle buttery breadcrumbs over cheese.
- Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use brown rice flour in place of the all purpose flour, gluten-free pasta, and gluten-free breadcrumbs to make this recipe entirely gluten-free!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Lovely sauce
Glad you enjoyed it, Pamela!
So good!
So glad you liked it, Michelle!